Czechia sees population dip amid birth slump and more people leaving

Czechia's population fell by 27,200 in the first half of 2025, slipping to 10.88 million as more people left the country than arrived, according to new figures from the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO). The drop also reflects a slowdown in immigration and a continued, steep slide in births, alongside a modest rise in deaths.

Between January and June, 49,600 people immigrated to Czechia, nearly 10,000 fewer than in the same period last year. At the same time, 56,400 people emigrated, resulting in a net loss of 6,900 through migration alone.

The CZSO points out that the outflow was partly due to the expiration of residence permits at the end of March, especially among citizens of Ukraine, who made up the largest share in both directions of foreign migration.

Natural change also weighed on the total: 37,400 children were born in the first six months of the year, 4,900 fewer than in 2024, continuing a four-year decline in births.

Deaths rose to 57,700, about 2,000 more than a year earlier, with the highest numbers among people over 70. “The number of deaths in all five-year age groups over 70 increased year on year,” said Michaela Němečková from the CZSO’s Department of Demographic Statistics.

The data show that almost half of all children (47.3 percent) were born outside marriage. Women aged 30 to 32 had the highest number of births, while most deaths occurred among people aged 80 to 84, followed by those aged 75 to 79.

Marriage and divorce figures also pointed to demographic shifts. About 17,300 couples married in the first half of 2025, down 9 percent from last year, continuing a three-year decline. Divorces remained stable at 10,400, most commonly after six years of marriage, with 59 percent of cases involving at least one minor child.

Czechia’s demographic trends align with broader European patterns of declining fertility and changing migration flows, as outlined by The Guardian. The figures suggest that, without stronger immigration or higher birth rates, population losses may continue.

The statistical office will release updated figures in late 2025, covering the July–September 2025 period, to show whether migration and birth trends have stabilized or worsened since the first half of 2025.